If you’re planning a visit to St Ives in the spring, plan your visit around the two Easter weeks and take part in the festivities around town for an extra bit of flair that will be sure to excite your kids on their Easter break from school.
Make sure to plan your Easter break in St Ives ahead of time by booking one of our charming cottages. We offer a wide range of cottages, all equipped with modern amenities at great prices, ensuring a comfortable and memorable stay for you and your family. Whether you’re looking for a cosy retreat or something more spacious, we have something for every need.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enjoy both the Easter festivities and the beauty of St Ives in springtime—stay tuned for our article on all the exciting activities you can enjoy in St Ives this Easter!
What are some of the best things to do in Cornwall over Easter?
Easter is an important time of year, and places all over Cornwall and St Ives hold celebrations and events that ensure kids and adults alike have plenty of fun.
With arts and crafts workshops, gorgeous locations up and down the coast, and the ocean at your fingertips, you’ll never be left looking for something to do.
1. Tate St Ives Easter workshops and activities
St Ives is the cultural hub of art in Cornwall, and the Tate St Ives adds a bit of artistic fun to the Easter holidays, encouraging kids to get creative and giving you a fun family day out. With various activities, there will be plenty for your kids to enjoy.
Tate Create Easter gives kids the opportunity to unleash their imaginations and create a whole new world together at Easter time.
For adults, there are plenty of unique exhibitions taking part during the Easter period that you can find out more information about on their website. A lot of the exhibitions in St Ives showcase local artists, celebrating modern and contemporary artworks that have taken inspiration from the coast and countryside that gives St Ives its charm.
2. Leach Pottery workshops
If you want to do something a little different this Easter, head on down to Leach Pottery for some pottery workshops that cater to all ages. Crafting your own piece of pottery will give you a great souvenir to take home with you in memory of your holiday to St Ives.
At Easter, there are exclusive Easter holidays, such as Young Potter’s Throwing Workshops for families. You can also take part in:
- Paintings from Pots
- Splatter Platter!
- Potter’s Corner
- Leach Explorer, Sensory Museum Bag
3. I Should Coco chocolate workshops
Match the chocolatey joy of Easter with the arts and crafts that have made St Ives famous, and participate in a chocolate workshop at I Should Coco. The workshops are fun and informative, and you always get to take home whatever tasty treat you have created.
When participating in these chocolate workshops, you have complete freedom to make anything you want. They run seasonal sessions throughout the year with a focus on particular events, including Easter.
You can also just attend one of their regular workshops. The Chocolate Workshop for All is the perfect choice for families to get stuck in chocolate crafts together. The Adult Chocolate Workshop takes on some more complex skills like
- Making fresh cream ganache
- Making fresh cream truffles
- Creating moulded chocolates
- Learning decorative chocolate work
4. Easter egg hunts on horseback
Nothing says Easter quite like an egg hunt and kids will have hours of fun scavenging across St Ives for the eggs. Getting to hunt on horseback adds an extra layer of excitement to the event, giving kids a new way to enjoy themselves on holiday.
Head out as a family on Standing Stone Stable ponies and venture into Wildflower Woods for plenty of Easter-themed surprises that will get your kids a nice chocolate haul with plenty of games thrown into the bargain as well.
It costs £30 per head, and you don’t need any horse-riding experience. The stables are only a five-minute drive from St Ives, making the activity pretty accessible if you’re staying in one of our holiday homes during your visit.
5. Easter performances at the Minack Theatre
Take a day to head down to the gorgeous Minack Theatre, an amphitheatre built on the cliffs overlooking the sea, creating the perfect atmospheric backdrop for their renowned plays, concerts and film screenings – all open air!
There are plenty of shows on offer over the course of the Easter period with something for everyone. There’s local talent, Cornish-based plays and adaptations of some of the world’s favourite stories.
Their programme as it stands at the moment includes:
- The Mermaid of Zennor: 7-20 April (daytime performances)
- Dracula, the Vampyr – 8-18 April (evening performances)
- 3 Daft Monkeys – folk musical performance, 11 April
While at the Minack, you can also visit their exotic garden, which is described as a ‘subtropical paradise on a Cornish cliff’. The position of the cliffs creates a unique climate for exotic plants to flourish. You can buy many of the plants yourself at the Minack gift shop:
- Eryngium
- Aeonium
- Aloe
- Crassula
- Echium
- Protea
6. Paradise Park’s Golden Egg Challenge
Take a drive out to nearby Hayle to visit Paradise Park during Easter. Their Golden Egg Challenge takes you all the way around the park, answering questions and upon completion of the quiz, you get your chocolate reward.
It’s a great way for kids to burn off energy, and during the hunt, you can also take some time to admire the various animals that live at Paradise Park:
- Parrots – including scarlet macaws, palm cockatoos and golden conures
- Palm-nut vulture
- Golden eagle
- Bald eagle
- Humboldt penguins
- Caribbean flamingos
- Pygmy goats
- Asian short-clawed otters
- Red pandas
Paradise Park is great for kids who are animal lovers, providing a great educational day out while they munch on their Easter chocolates.
If your kids still have energy to burn after all that excitement, head on over to the JungleBarn play centre, a great venue for parties and gatherings that will give your kids a classic Easter holiday experience with their friends.
7. Easter watersports at the beach
While not exactly Easter-themed, no trip to St Ives would ever be complete without some time spent in the waves.
St Ives is famous for its beaches and coast, and there’s no better way to spend a warm spring day than lounging on the beach or playing in the waves.
There are plenty of activities to keep the whole family occupied and plenty of beaches to choose from, whether you’re looking for a quieter place to relax or want to take part in some more energetic activities.
Popular watersports in St Ives are:
- Surfing
- Sea kayaking
- Bodyboarding
- Stand-up paddle boarding
- Swimming
- Coasteering
There are also family-friendly activities taking place on the beach instead of out on the ocean. Kids will enjoy sand castle building and beach volleyball during the Easter period. A number of the beaches are dog-friendly, with seasonal bans not taking place till mid-May at the earliest.
8. Rockpooling in St Ives
Rockpooling is another fun activity, giving kids the chance to discover and learn about marine life in a controlled environment and catch sight of numerous and interesting sea creatures. Areas to find good rockpools are:
- Porthmeor Beach
- Porthminster Beach
- Bamaluz Beach
- Godrevy Beach
While there are no rockpools at Porthgwidden Beach, you’ll still be able to catch sight of limpets, mussels and anemones clinging to the rocks.
If you are going rock pooling, remember to stay safe. The rocks can be slippery due to ocean conditions, weather conditions, and seaweed growth. Wear sturdy footwear, and be sure to protect your hands from grazes on stone and sharp shells.
Rockpooling is a great activity at Easter time, as the spring tides go out and reveal new and interesting wildlife. Make sure to read up on tide timetables and plan your rockpooling accordingly for the safest trip.
Where can I stay for a St Ives Easter break?
We have a wide range of holiday cottages spread all over St Ives and Lelant with either parking spaces or easy access to public transport systems. West Cornwall is your oyster, and we are the perfect hub for making the most of Easter activities and events in the area.
